"As locals who haven't dined at this pub in years, we decided to book a table for 9 to celebrate my nan's birthday, based on positive reviews we'd seen on Facebook. Unfortunately, our experience fell short of expectations. Upon arrival, we waited a considerable amount of time for our drinks to be taken, and there weren't enough menus for everyone. Although several specials were out of stock, we understood that this time of year can be busy. When the waitress took our order, my nan (who is very elderly) chose ham, egg, and chips. Shortly after, we were informed that the pork apricot was unavailable, so we changed the order to fish. We waited quite a while for our food, and when it arrived, my nan's meal was missing, along with a portion of potatoes and a side salad. Despite waiting, we had to start eating, as my nan's food took so long to arrive that we were nearly finished with our meals by the time it did. The manager assured us her meal would be removed from the bill. However, the salad and potatoes were still missing, and when they finally came, we had already finished eating. The manager promised to remove the potatoes from the bill as well. Throughout the entire meal, we were not asked if we wanted any additional drinks or water, which was disappointing. The burgers, priced at £18, were mediocre and looked like they came from a burger van. The chicken Kiev, though tasty, was just a chicken breast on a salad, with no fries, additional potatoes, or vegetables, which felt so overpriced. After we finished, the gentleman offered my nan a free pudding and provided two brownies for the table to share. Unfortunately, the brownies were dry, and the accompanying ice cream was melted. My nan’s Eton mess was topped with what appeared to be watercress, which turned out to be fruit leaves, but their peppery taste overwhelmed the dessert. The bill totaled nearly £200 for two pizzas, three burgers, fish and chips, chicken breast on salad, and two pizzas shared by two couples. My gin and lemonade cost £9.50, which felt excessive. While we appreciated the gestures of removing my nan's meal and offering the three desserts, the overall experience was very disappointing, and we will not be returning. The evening was such a shame we were so looking forward to finally coming to this pub and for such a special occasion it was such a let down. I would recommend Rise in Westbay to other people thinking of dining here, although the same in price the quality is night and day compared to our experience tonight."
West Dorset
